


Home

by Looming



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 04:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12473636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Looming/pseuds/Looming
Summary: "Go tell them to come on down. I'm gonna fetch him."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first post here, though I've enjoyed reading what everyone else has written for awhile! I know 'what if Akira's injuries from the interrogation lasted longer than the car ride back to Leblanc' is hardly a new idea, but it seemed like a good vehicle for some extremely self indulgent fluff. Hopefully you all like it!

"Look who's back!"

He barely has a foot through through the door before his friends are on top of him.

Futaba and Haru have him trapped in some sort of double bear hug while Ann and Ryuji each grab a shoulder and shake him back and forth and ask questions about anything and everything and how have you been and it's so good you're back and we were so worried and hey hey how come you're not answering!!! Akira can't help but smile through the pain. He'll have to tell them, sooner rather than later. But for now, after everything, they deserve this moment.

Yusuke settles for leaning against the nearest booth. The two share a nod - he had no chance at outrunning these four.

It hits him very quickly after this that Makoto isn't a part of the welcoming committee. He looks around, thinking maybe she's just hiding somewhere, maybe he's just missed her. But eventually he notices. She's a few steps back, a tiny smirk on her face.

If Akira didn't know any better he'd say she was enjoying the sight of their friends piled on top of him.

Ann or Ryuji, maybe even Futaba ask him something then, but he's not listening anymore. He's lost in the deep crimson of Makoto's eyes and the rest of the world seems to fade away. Akira returns her smile and causes her to blush almost imperceptibly. A small gift for him, and no one else.

Seeing her again, after everything, Akira thinks he wouldn't mind if this moment lasted forever.

Ann is the first to notice. She doesn't ask any questions, simply hums to Haru and grabs the others' attention with a silent touch. It's not long before they all understand and give him room.

Akira takes an uncertain step forward and finds that the dull ache in his leg has gone, at least for now. He's thankful. So he takes another. And another, and another and another and they're so close now that Akira can bury his fingers in her hair, close enough that she can circle her arms around him and tuck her head into the crook of his neck. She holds him, too tight, but she doesn't care, and Akira finds he doesn't either because right now she feels like _home_.

He presses his lips to Makoto's forehead.

"I missed you." he breathes softly, and Makoto finds herself falling even further into him.

She loosens her grip though, and leans back to brush the hair out of his face, "I missed you too." she whispers, looking up at him, and she pokes his cheek and teases even softer, "You're very late, you know."

Akira laughs.

It used to surprise her just how easy it was to get lost in Akira's eyes, Makoto confided to Ann more than once just how much it upset her that she couldn't make eye contact with her 'stupid, pretty boyfriend' without completely melting.

Today she finds that she doesn't mind the feeling.

Because the joy and _tenderness_ in his gaze feels like home.

But something cracks. Tears begin to well up in those stupid, pretty eyes of his. Barely visible, but Makoto still sees. And Akira whispers, barely audible, but Makoto still hears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Mako--"

She doesn't let him finish. A single feather light kiss pressed to his hairline, "Don't." Another, just as light, this time on the tip of his nose. "Don't you dare blame yourself. You made it back to me."

One last kiss, finally reaching his lips. It is slow and comforting and full of so much love that Akira is sure his heart is about to burst out of his chest.

Makoto rests her forehead against his, her fingers entwined in his hair. "You promised me you would come back, and you're here." She cups his face in her hands as gently as she possibly can and continues, "You promised me I would see you again, and you're _here_. There is nothing to apologize for, Akira."

He understands. She still deserves an apology, getting himself so badly injured wasn't part of the plan, but he understands. That he is here and alive and she can see him and touch him is the only thing Makoto cares about right now. He decides then that all he can do is smile his brightest smile.

The smile he saves for her and no one else.

Makoto always loves the way it makes his eyes crinkle up and his whole face absolutely radiate joy. She brought it up with the other thieves once and found that none of them had any clue what she was talking about. He smiles his real smile for their friends, but it's not the same, there's something more for her. She finds a small bit of pride in the realization.

But before she can turn her feelings on this specific smile into a coherent thought she realizes Akira is brushing his lips against hers, and it sends shivers through her entire body.

He whispers, "I'm home. My queen."

And he kisses her, quick and chaste but enough to turn her face a particularly deep shade of red.

Makoto groans and laughs and buries her head back against his shoulder. Partly to try and lose herself even deeper in his embrace, all that lean muscle and warmth finally here and *hers* again.

Mostly to hide her embarrassment at being called 'his queen' in front of their friends.

In front of her _sister_. God, her sister has been right there the whole time!

But right now, after everything they've been through, she feels invincible. And so Makoto quickly regains her composure and moves the two of them into a booth, calling for everyone else to join. And she finds that she doesn't really care if they know about that little nickname.

Because right now, next to Akira, this feels like home.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day continues about as calmly as could be expected. Ann and Futaba demand to hear every single detail about how their leaders got together. They talk about how the both of them had hoped there would be reason to meet again after the encounter in the school library. An indescribable  _something_ linking the two. They talk about their time spent together after Kaneshiro, the fake dating, the real dating, the confession at the Crossroads.  _I'll be your study partner._

Ryuji's cackling rips through the air at that. There's some attempted scolding but the others are also holding in laughter and it ends up being completely ineffectual. Haru, though, powers through and assures them through stifled giggles and deep breaths , "You two are absolutely perfect for each other."

Eventually the conversation gets back on track, Sae and Sojiro are caught up on recent events. And future plans.

The cafe dies down as afternoon turns to evening. The thieves leave slowly, one by one and Makoto finds herself growing drowsy against Akira's side, the day's events finally catching up with her.  
  
Some time later after everyone but the adults and the happy couple have left, Makoto stirs and whispers softly before burying herself in his arms, "Love you." She quickly loses her battle with exhaustion and drifts off to sleep.

Akira smiles at the sight. "I love you too."

\---

"The Okumura girl wasn't lying you know, those two really are good for each other." Sojiro reassures as he works at cleaning the dishes.

Sae sits at the counter and stares down into her coffee, looking for some sort of answer to a question that no one asked.

"I know. I trust him... _them_. I trust the both of them." Sae sighs, if she was being honest, the most upsetting part of their relationship was the realization that her own behavior had pushed her so far away from her little sister that she had missed out on the beginning of something truly important to Makoto. But no more. "The way his face lit up whenever he talked about Makoto during the interrogation..." 

She sighs again and buries her face in a hand.

Sojiro doesn't say anything as she turns to look, the both of them now fast asleep and tangled in each other's arms, sinking into the back of their booth. He remains quiet as she walks over to sit opposite them and continues simply watching. He doesn't say a word, just continues washing the dishes. And he smiles.

Whether Akira had been awake the whole time or was startled by the sudden movement, Sae isn't sure, but he opens his mouth to ask a question before Sae raises her hand to interrupt.  
  
For a time, she doesn't do anything. She doesn't say anything.

And then she does.

"What is Makoto to you?"

There's no anger in the question. No implication, no hidden trap for Akira to fall into, she simply wants to know. To decide how she feels about their relationship.

Akira stares. 

For what seems like an eternity, that's all he _can_ do. He stares at Sae, and then down to Makoto. He presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head and she shifts even closer. Akira thinks he has his answer. "She's _home_." And he goes silent for a moment longer, as if willing Sae to understand exactly what he means before turning to match her gaze.

"My record being leaked has brought on a lot of unwanted attention. None of those people ever seemed as convinced as Makoto that it was a lie before we had even met." His eyes grow more intense before he looks back to the girl wrapped up in his arms and grins, "None of those people ever had the courage to face me down and corner me into admitting that I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves even knowing how dangerous that could have been." Akira lets out a breathy laugh. "None of those people ever made me donuts. Or wondered what my favorite kind of coffee is. Or were content to do nothing but simply _exist_ near me. To give me the chance to stop worrying about everything... She's--"

"She's home." Sae interrupts, finally understanding. She nods and looks down to her hands, neatly folded on the table in front of her. Akira swears that he spies her hiding a smirk. "...I don't see any reason to wake Makoto. She could use the rest. So could you."

Akira realizes at that moment that Sojiro stepped out at some point. And while he tries to remember when it might have happened, he hears the bell, and Sae's distant voice before the door closes one final time for the day.

"Welcome home, Akira."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done! Hopefully you all enjoyed this little thing, I definitely enjoyed writing it.


End file.
